Zubair Qureshi
The district administration of Islamabad fearing violation of the health guidelines as well as standard operating procedures (SOPs) to check spread of coronavirus during the upcoming Eidul Azha has closed down the main parks, picnic points and recreational places for one week.
According to circular issued by the District Magistrate of Islamabad Muhammad Hamza Shafqaat Murree Expressway, Margalla Hills, hotels, picnic points and parks will remain closed till end of the Eid-ul-Azha holidays i.e. Monday Aug 3, 2020.
The public is requested not to make any outing or touristic plan and remain indoors during the Eid holidays, said Hamza Shafqaat while talking to Pakistan Observer.
Meanwhile, the Islamabad High Court Chief Justice Athar Minallah while hearing a petition seeking opening of educational institutions after Eid holidays, remarked it is up to the government to devise, finalize policy about school opening and the court will not meddle with the executive powers.
In a petition, private schools owners had moved that due to the coronavirus situation private schools were closed for the last four months and due to that prolonged closure, they were passing through hard times.
“We had also moved an application with Private Education Institutions Regulatory Authority (PEIRA) but the authority did not make a decision on it.
To this, Justice Minallah remarked it was not only a problem of the private schools owners but it was also causing huge academic loss of the children and the government, the court believes, must be mindful of the educational and academic loss of the children.
The court directed the petitioners not to file petitions individually but file through their association to the relevant forum/PEIRA.
Meanwhile, the federal capital on Monday saw a slight increase in the number of cases that jumped from 14,841 to 14,884 (an increase of 43 in 24 hours). The number of deaths with one in the last 24 hours turned out to be 164. The district administration and police meanwhile arrested a number of persons for setting up an illegal cattle market. The persons had reportedly ignored all the SOPs and health guidelines at the illegally-set up cattle market.
